Name: Confessions
ISBN: 9780316200929

Kanae Minato

Her pupils murdered her daughter. Now she will have her revenge. After calling off her engagement in the wake of a tragic revelation, Yuko Moriguchi had nothing to live for except her only child, four-year-old child, Manami. Now, following an accident on the grounds of the middle school where she teaches, Yuko has given up and tendered her resignation. But first she has one last lecture to deliver. She tells a story that upends everything her students ever thought they knew about two of their peers, and sets in motion a diabolical plot for revenge. Narrated in alternating voices, with twists you'll never see coming, Confessions probes the limits of punishment, despair, and tragic love, culminating in a harrowing confrontation between teacher and student that will place the occupants of an entire school in danger. You'll never look at a classroom the same way again.

Confessions

summer at midnight

The book kinda dragged here and there and you heard the same story over and over again from different point of views which was interesting but the ending made my jaw drop

Lauren Dale

i really really loved the movie for this so when this caught my eye at the bookstore i knew i had to leave w it. i loved how much more i got from the book tho it did have some odd outdated statements in it. so deeply nuanced in the way it navigates good and evil. ughhh the complexities of being kind and evil. rlly loved the last chapter bc i did not think for a second i could sympathise w that character, bc he didnt rlly catch my eye in the movie, but the book fleshed him out so good i actually did feel bad for a few minutes there

syre

This book was so unique and crazy. I really enjoyed reading the story from all of the different perspectives. That ending…holy moly.

Jillian Roberts

This book was so crazy, there were so many times where I annotated it with "what the fuck". While I ended up enjoying it overall I found parts of the opening uncomfortable in a bad way as opposed to the rest of the book where I was uncomfortable in a good way. So removing half a star for that. 

The pacing was perfect, it's a little slow to start off, the opening monologue can seem long and made up of completely unessacary tangents and strange views, but when the final part of the chapter hits it's like being smacked in the face. Simply jaw dropping. 

I could never predict where exactly the story was going, I was constantly on edge, searching for clues. It was completely crazy, never went where I thought it was going and sometimes things so shocking happened I had to put it down and process it for 10 minutes atleast. 

The different narratives are what makes this book particularly spectacular. Each one provided a small piece of the puzzle, it highlighted the complexity of each of different characters. The writing style for each was so distinct I knew I was reading the perspective of a different person as the chapter changed. 

Speaking of characters I dont think I liked any of them, they are all deeply flawed and unstable. They've lived miserable lives and it shows. However I don't think this a book where you are meant to enjoy or empathise with any of the characters. They are just parts of this incredibly bizarre and messed up story.

I think this is definitely a book reading atleast once. I've yet to read something like it.

Marz 

Isabella 

i really enjoy reading this. not much of a suspense, but we were able to see the narratives of the characters involved which i found interesting. twistedddd

azliana aziz

“I believe we find our sense of stability, our place in life, by participating in society, by coming to belong somewhere and taking on the title of that position—mother, teacher, doctor. Not belonging anywhere, not having a title of some sort, means, in effect, that you’re not really a member of society. So it seems to me that most normal people, if they found themselves in that situation—without a position or title—would feel terrible anxiety and do everything they could to secure a place in the world as quickly as they could."

i have watched the film adaptation way back then and i totally have no idea that it's an adaptation from a book during that time. needless to say, i wholeheartedly was in love with the movie for the longest time. then last year? or earlier this year? while book shopping i came across this gem and well, the rest is history.

DAMN. this book is completey on another level. and i am SO glad it has been adapted to a film because it was such a visceral read and the bare bone prose pretty much made up an amazing screenplay without needing much alteration. a lot of books in this genre try so fucking hard to be all twisty and faux-complex when underneath it all it was just some basic flashy thriller but confessions doesn't aim for the sky and pretty much tell it as it is and the cumulative effect after you're done with the book were pretty much 'holy hell, wtf just happened. why? what? how?' and you will have the sudden urge to watch the film again and read the book again and left completely in awe of how ugly, petty, vindictive we can be if we're ever being pushed on the wrong buttons. like one of the character said, we never have the right to judge other people.

Syahla Aurel

If I had cut the two of you to shreds with a knife, I think I would have hated the little pieces of you just the same

I loved how the narrative of each character were so neutral yet so evil at the same time, and how every incident is calculated carefully so that it can reach a very climax ending. One thing that I can learn from the story is that mommy issues can be very fatal, lol.

Alexis Donahue

Kind of slow… but definitely had lots of plot twists and little bombs thrown in for good measure. This was the ultimate “good-for-her” and “petty betty” trope. I love that <spoiler> Moriguchi in the end defuses the bomb at the school and brings it to ultimately detonate and kill Shuya’s beloved mother. Way too clever. My mouth dropped on the last page. </spoiler>

Alexa M

I fear I’m the only one who didn’t love this. Definitely entertaining and a very unique way to do a thriller but i felt like it was just a retelling of the same story over and over. Quick, easy read that I would probably recommend just didn’t really do much for me!

Shreya Punj

Jesus Christ, what did I just finish reading?

This book is everything I love about a dark, twisted tale: a laconic style of writing, enough description to keep you hooked and never bored, multiple perspectives that add another dimension to the plot, and an actual plot! 

The characters in this book are fleshed out, and their motives for doing what they’ve done seem plausible within the realms of these pages. 

I think I’m going to read everything Kanae has ever written.

Midori Kobayashi

enjoyed the concept and the absolutely ruthless teacher but holy shit repeatedly telling the same story over and over just got me bored bruh.

• you’ll start questioning your own morals along the way

• characters’ backstories are complete and satisfying even tho the book was short

• Timeline and character introduction were a bit confusing at the start

• Ending was anti-climactic (esp. the last 2 chaps when it should’ve been more compelling than the others)

Positives:

• short and fast-paced

• confessions POV is a unique take

• you’ll start questioning your own morals along the way

• characters’ backstories are complete and satisfying even tho the book was short

Negatives:

• Timeline and character introduction were a bit confusing at the start

• Ending was anti-climactic (esp. the last 2 chaps when it should’ve been more compelling than the others)

Stef

Cerita nya bener-bener edan!! dibuka dengan pengakuan dari wali kelas Yukio dan ditutup dengan ending yang ga pernah ku duga. Beneran ngeri kalau dendam kesumat berujung banyak maut.

Siya S

Oh my god is this really her first novel? As a housewife? Writing this between her house chores? Minato-san is a one brilliant-minded lady!!

This twist and sick tale of lies and revenge provokes questions on morality. The story is told in different voices through different means, which is super interesting. So complex and creepy and so awful at times I feel (not for the first time) how lucky I am for not being born in such a society. I'm sure nobody could be more evil than a middle-schooler but this is in its own a whole new level of fucked up shits. 

10/10 would read more lf her books.

Janice Hopper

This is a book of unhappy people. 

Each chapter is told by a different person. The first is a teacher who has lost her daughter. She lays out a murder case against two of her students and tries to exact a revenge from them. Revenge happens, but not quite in the way she planned.

One of the students is basically a sociopath. The other at least has a sense of guilt. 

Things get more complicated than you'd expect, and things don't quite go the way you'd imagine.

I pretty much listened to this straight through. It's a dark tale of unhappy people, people trying to get noticed, people who want to be loved and who go about it in all the wrong ways.

This is another book recommended by the soon-to-be-gone Writer and Critic podcast. I am going to miss their recommendations SO. MUCH. :(

Elda Mengisto

I really think this a good, and yet, dark book. At first, I thought it would be Moriguchi-sensei telling the entire book without any dialogue in between, but when I read through the other points of view, it really sealed the story as a very intriguing one.

One of the more interesting parts of the story is when Naoki tells his story and how he took part in Manami's murder. His isolation away from home and inability to be more than average got to me, because I know how it feels. While there are dark parts to the story--including his shield of filth and a scene where he cuts himself and rubs his blood across the objects in the convenience store, they really add to his misery.

And there's Shuya, the mastermind. I saw him as this "evil genius" as I read through the story, but when I learned about his relationship with his mother, there was a part of him which felt bad for him and his circumstances, though we also know he prevented his mother from following his dreams.

Thinking about it now, the mother-child relationship connects the three main characters together. We see Moriguchi-sensei's relationship with Manami, a solace for her; when she's murdered, this sets the scene for the entire story. Of course, there's Shuya and his mother, and Naoki's intensity with his mother.

Revenge also plays a role in it, but what I really didn't expect is the psychological warfare Moriguchi-sensei partakes in. I was confused at first, but it turned out to be interesting plot point, especially as we see how Naoki and Shuya take the pressure.

The themes and lens from which the story is told makes this a really harrowing, but interesting tale. I recommend it.

Cat H

A dark thriller told from various POVS after a teacher undergoes a plan of vengeance on two students in her classroom. The situations get darker and darker as the events of one day unravel into different aspects of the children's lives. It is translated, so it unfortunatley has a monotone feel and there are some weird attitudes towards HIV/AIDS and single parenthood explored. Lots of twists and revelations that will keep the reader shocked.

chloe mcpherson

After the death of her daughter Yuko Moriguchi has chosen to retire from teaching. On the last day of class Yuko decides to give an lecture to her class, admitting that the death of her daughter was no accident and in fact that two students in her class were responsible for her death.
What follows is a chain of events that will impact everyones lives forever.

This story is told through different part, each part told from different perspectives. Each part leaving me thinking 'wtf just happened'.
This book is so different from any other thriller book i have read, I enjoyed reading from each perspective.
And I am still shook over that ending. 'Like oh damn that just happened!?' 

If you enjoy reading thrillers and in the mood for something a little different, I would recommend picking this one up!

Jen Estrella

My kind of twisted!!! I would rate this 10 stars if I could. This book has an intricate plot with complex, terrifying characters, and it's an understatement to say that I had such a great time getting into the minds of each and every one of them. The story and the narratives get darker as you keep reading, (no kidding - it felt like a descent to hell) and twists are laid out in perfect places. I'm aware that I'm getting overly excited at this point, but I just can't help it. I'm almost hesitant to watch the film, because the book is perfection. 

Anyway, I would recommend this book if you enjoy psychological/existential horror, family dynamics, trauma, and characters that make you feel like you're swimming in the darkest parts of the human psyche (an understatement). Oh also, if you're looking for a super satisfying revenge story, because oh my goodness, that ending? GLORIOUS.

Charlotte Gyselinck

This was so good. Kept me glued to the pages the whole time: great twists and excellent character development, especially for such a short book.  It's all there!

Viry

4.5 stars; it’s been a while since a book ending made me feel this way MY JAW WAS DROPPED and i had goosebumps this was a wild ride

Olivera Mitić

Ne znam šta sam očekivala posle hajpa na koji sam naišla oko ove knjige, ali svakako ne ono što sam dobila. Ovo je navodno bio horor, a meni je samo bio...dosadan. Možda bi funkcionisalo bolje da je bilo u formi kratke priče. Sve one perspektive koje smo dobili bile su mi suvišne.

When Yuko Moriguchi's four-year-old daughter died in the middle school where she teaches, everyone thought it was a tragic accident. It's the last day of term, and Yuko's last day at work. She tells her students that she has resigned because of what happened - but not for the reasons they think. Her daughter didn't die in an accident. Her daughter was killed by two people in the class. And before she leaves, she has a lesson to teach... But revenge has a way of spinning out of control, and Yuko's last lecture is only the start of the story. In this bestselling Japanese thriller of love, despair and murder, everyone has a confession to make, and no one will escape unharmed.

Kath Lau

It’s Yuko Moriguchi’s last day as a middle school teacher. She decides to resign after her four-year-old daughter dies on the school grounds. The death is ruled out as accident but during her last lecture, she reveals to her students that her daughter is murdered and the perpetrators are sitting inside the room.

This is going to be short because I am not really sure how to review this one. The beginning immediately drew me into the story and I could tell that I was in for a treat after reading the first chapter. I loved that the story is told in multiple perspectives and I thought it was very clever. Not knowing from whose perspective we will be getting next has added more excitement as well. Reading the same incident over and over again can be tiring at times but that’s not the case in this book. It just got me more intrigued. We learn about each of the characters’ experiences and roles in the incident. We get some answers and revelations until we reach a very satisfying conclusion. This is definitely one of the best and unique revenge stories I’ve ever read. It is dark, disturbing, and utterly brilliant!

Check out my other reviews here.

Confessions

Reviews

Highlights